Most people are concerned over the issue regarding whether the minimum wage would be adjusted upwards or not this year. Actually the CLA has already proposed the new wage scale but is still waiting for the approval from the Executive Yuan, so the meeting originally scheduled for July will be delayed until August or later.

The CLA was going to hold a commission deliberation to discuss the raise of minimum wage this month, however, the proposal was still stuck at the Executive Yuan.

In the new proposal, the minimum wage deliberation is to change the review process to equal parts of employer, increasing labor representatives, lowering government representatives ratio.

In addition, a clear statement that the deliberation should take place every year.

However, employer side is not thrilled about the meeting-taking place annually.

According to the numbers by the CLA, there are currently around 1 million people in the labor force who are on minimum wage with the labor groups wanting to see the current minimum wage of NT$17,280 adjusted upwards.

The employers believe that the raise is negotiable, but should be based on subjective numbers for reference.

The National Federation of Industries believe that, with the increase of minimum wage, foreign labors will benefit first while labor insurance, national health insurance coverage premium would go up, which would increase the overall cost of employers.

On the contrary, labor groups believe that with the wage increase in China and increase of minimum wage in Hong Kong, local labor force should see the benefit because the government kept indicating the fact that local economy has revived lately.

According to the CLA, both sides can sit down and negotiate for the deliberation would take place for sure this year, but hopefully not after August.